Tanker ships, such as fuel tankers, are used to transport various liquids in the open sea. Damage to the ship's hull, such as by running aground, can cause damage to the hull. If the hull defines the fuel reservoir of the tanker, damage to the hull can result in fuel spillage and ultimately environmental disaster.
The U.S. Pat. No. 3,84,239 to McLaughlin et al, issued Oct. 29, 1974 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,230,061 to Roberts et al, issued Oct. 28, 1980 address the problem of spillage of liquids from sea going vessels. Both patents provide a cargo container including an inner bladder. The McLaughlin et al patent provides a resilient lining for a reservoir adapted to separate from the walls of at least one of the reservoirs upon a predetermined minimum external concussive pressure and deformation of the walls of the reservoir. The lining is adapted to stretch upon the pressure and deformation and force the liquid contained therein to flow through an ejecting piping system and towards an empty space. The patent provides several methods of releasably securing the lining about the entire wall of the reservoir.
The Roberts et al patent discloses a double tank shipping container including a flexible bladder forming an inner tank received within an outer tank and readily removable therefrom. The inner tank has a configuration roughly conforming to the contours of the outer tank and is fixedly secured to the neck portion of the closed outer tank.
Neither prior art patent discussed above provides a resilient container completely independent structurally of the supporting hull. Further, the prior art does not disclose a liner that can be retrofitted into existing liquid carrying tankers with minimal restructuring of the hulls.